Inside the Tomb - Flowers Made of Stone

A stop on Taj Mahal and Agra: A Self-Guided Visit, a free self-guided tour.

Before you step inside, look closely at the walls around the doorway. Those flowers and vines are not painted. They are made of tiny pieces of colored stone, cut and set into the marble so tightly you can barely see the joins. This technique is called pietra dura, and the Taj uses 28 kinds of precious and semi-precious stones in it.

Inside, the light is dim and the room is octagonal. In the middle, behind a delicate marble screen, stand two cenotaphs - memorial tombs - for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. They are not the real graves. The bodies lie in a quieter chamber directly below, as was the custom.

Notice that Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph sits exactly in the center, and Shah Jahan's larger one sits beside it, slightly to the west. It is the only thing in the whole complex that breaks the perfect symmetry, because the tomb was designed for her alone. Photography is not allowed inside, so take your time and simply look.

Getting here: Join the line on the marble platform that leads to the main doorway on the south face of the tomb.

Did you know?: Shah Jahan was buried here after his death in 1666, and his cenotaph had to be squeezed in beside his wife's, which is why it is the one off-center object in the whole design.

Photo op: Photos are not allowed inside, but outside, zoom in on the inlaid flowers around the doorway arches for detail shots.

Nearby: The interior is crowded at midday; go early in the morning for a calmer visit. Keep phones silent inside.

More on Wikipedia: Pietra dura · Mumtaz Mahal · Shah Jahan

Stops on this tour

  1. Taj Mahal East Gate - Where the Procession Began
  2. The Great Gate - A Frame for Paradise
  3. The Charbagh Garden - Paradise in Four Parts
  4. The Mausoleum - A Promise in White Marble
  5. Inside the Tomb - Flowers Made of Stone
  6. The Taj Mahal Mosque - Facing West to Pray
  7. The Riverside Terrace - Shah Jahan's River View
  8. The Jawab - A Building Made Only for Symmetry
  9. Agra Fort - The Hall Where the Emperor Listened
  10. Musamman Burj - Shah Jahan's Last View of the Taj
  11. Itimad-ud-Daulah - The Jewel Box Known as the Baby Taj
  12. Mehtab Bagh - The Moonlight Garden at Sunset